My Camino Journal by Heather Gailey

MY CAMINO JOURNAL

Copyright Š 2018 Heather Gailey

All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior written permission of the publisher.

Published by Amber Horn an imprint of BHC Press Library of Congress Control Number: 2017952178 ISBN-13: 978-1-946848-91-8

Visit the publisher at: www.bhcpress.com

About the journal In the Fall of 2015, and after a long 25 years of daydreaming and talking about the Camino to anyone who would listen, I finalized my plans and set out at the age of 52 to walk the Camino Frances, solo. My friends and family thought I had lost my mind, but I knew deep down that I had actually found it. My spiritual journey turned out to be very different than I had originally planned, but it was still a life altering adventure that challenged me physically, spiritually, and mentally. I took my first step onto the Camino from a city in the middle (a story for another time), and made my way to the end in 17 days without even officially finishing and collecting the highly sought after Compostela (certificate of completion) due to time constraints.

If you are a Camino “newbie� I am here to pass on to you that the Camino de Santiago has the power to throw you up in the air, flip you upside down and then dump you on your head. It will then turn around and show kindness by picking you up, dusting you off, and staying with you until you find your centre. All this will happen just in time for you to return home. Trust me! It happened to me. If you are someone who has been before then you will know exactly what I mean.

Whether this is your first Camino or your 20th, it is important to remember that your Camino is your Camino.

You will meet people along the way who will remind you of this when you feel things are not going the way you had planned or expected. There are also those who will attempt to judge you, but remember, there is no wrong way to complete it. It is important for you to document your journey. Why? Because I say so! Now go...

More About the journal Now, as you hold this nubbin of gold in your hot little hands, I would like to say WELCOME to the My Camino Journal. As I have mentioned, I believe whole-heartedly in journaling and I want to take this opportunity to get you addicted to the benefits journaling can offer you, especially for a trip like the Camino.

When you keep a journal, you open yourself up to selfdiscovery, reflection, healing, and personal growth. A journal can also be a safe space to capture your life story, provide a place for photo information, and can serve as a record of important personal milestones, triumphs, and lessons.

I created this journal for those who love to journal and for those who do not. This journal will allow you to put as much or as little effort into the process as you desire. It is fun and irreverent, spiritual yet not overtly religious, and provides a daily structure for those who admit to having an adverse reaction to the ominous nature of the blank page.

My wish is that you will enjoy using this journal so much that you will decide to buy one for each of your friends and family members, who will then decide to set out on their own Camino journey after hearing all about your awesome adventure.

WRITE YOUR own STORY!

instructions The My Camino Journal allows for a total of 36 days of journal entries. Each day has four pages to complete.

Follow the wandering boot prints as they walk you through creating your unique story.

1) My Camino: A page where you can log the distances traveled, steps taken, the weather, your feelings, places you stayed, the money you spent, the types of food eaten, and your mode of transportation.

2) My Purpose: A contemplative practice to implement as you prepare to walk. Ask yourself these three important questions each morning, knowing that the answers will guide your actions for the entire day.

The questions are simple yet meaningful: 1) What is my purpose today?

2) Who am I supposed to help?

3) Who is supposed to help me?

3) My Thoughts: A daily quote about walking, offering a prompt to consider throughout the day, ruminate on later or share with others.

4) Mindfulness Minute:

A place to reflect or have some fun, depending on the day.

This page will self-destruct now that you are finished reading it.

5! 4! 3! 2! 1!

and so it begins...

Your story. A journey of a lifetime.

Take a moment to remember what your life was like yesterday, because after you lay one foot on The Camino, your life will NEVER be the same.

Buen Camino

This very important Journal belongs to:

AWESOME

If this account of my life changing trip is ever lost, and you happen to find it, please return it to:

Day 1

day 1 - my camino From:

to:

The weather is:

I am feeling:

Total distance traveled: Walked Other

KMs

Miles

Inches

Plane

Horse

Cycled

Taxi

Bus

Hostel

Hotel

Tent

Stayed @: Albergue

Under the stars

Ate: Breakfast Eat it again!

So So

Bleck

Eat it again!

So So

Bleck

Eat it again!

So So

Bleck

Lunch Dinner

Spent: On lodgings

Euros On food

Dollars On Gifts

Other Other

Tomorrow is a new day. Important things to remember:

day 1 - my purpose What is my purpose today?

Who am I to help?

With what?

Who will help me?

With what?

Lessons learned along The Way Gifts from the Universe/GOD/Angels/Spirits

1 2 3 What piece of equipment am I most grateful for today?

Angels (Pilgrims) I met on the Camino today: Name: Contact info: Name: Contact info:

day 1 - my thoughts No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may.

We ourselves must walk the path. ~ Buddha ~

day 1 - mindfulness minute Reflect and Go Deep: Why have I chosen this Camino journey?

People will ask you this question over, and over, and over. So now would be a good time to get your story straight!

Day 2

day 2 - my camino From:

to:

The weather is:

I am feeling:

Total distance traveled: Walked Other

KMs

Miles

Inches

Plane

Horse

Cycled

Taxi

Bus

Hostel

Hotel

Tent

Stayed @: Albergue

Under the stars

Ate: Breakfast Eat it again!

So So

Bleck

Eat it again!

So So

Bleck

Eat it again!

So So

Bleck

Lunch Dinner

Spent: On lodgings

Euros On food

Dollars On Gifts

Other Other

Tomorrow is a new day. Important things to remember:

day 2 - my purpose What is my purpose today?

Who am I to help?

With what?

Who will help me?

With what?

Lessons learned along The Way Gifts from the Universe/GOD/Angels/Spirits

1 2 3 What piece of equipment am I most grateful for today?

Angels (Pilgrims) I met on the Camino today: Name: Contact info: Name: Contact info:

day 2 - my thoughts Walk as if you are kissing the earth with your feet. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh ~

day 2 - mindfulness minute Questions: How am I feeling about my decision to walk?

After my first full day of walking I said out loud �what was I thinking? !�

I also felt as if I wanted to die. How about you?

about the author

My Camino Journal is Heather Gailey’s very first publishing adventure.

It is a journal that is unique in that it was designed to provide a non-denominational, meditative, and spiritual writing space for those who choose to physically traverse the Camino de Santiago through Spain as well as other popular Camino journeys.

It provides a 36-day recurring structure for those who have never journaled before or for those who may tend to experience blank page phobia.

This funky journal has specific space to document daily adventures, and collect the contact information of fellow pilgrims. It gives you room to ruminate on important spiritual teaching and learnings, and provides many thoughtful prompts and quotes to assist with the discovery of an inner journey to Santiago and to Self. A precious keepsake of your journey you will have forever.

Heather Gailey is a victim advocate and adult educator by day and a mixed media artist in every other available corner of her life. She makes her home just outside of Toronto, Canada.

Every chance she gets she teaches Art Journaling and speaks to groups who want to hear about her...

Best CAMINO STORY EVER!